Just over a week ago we welcomed our precious little daughter into the world.

She has a head of thick dark, almost reddish hair, curious eyes, and the longest fingers I've ever seen on a newborn. (In that, she takes after her mom). After a very long, difficult pregnancy, I'm so relieved to finally be holding her in my arms and resting at home.

Right now I'm sitting on the couch and catching a few minutes of peace before I have to wake her for her next feeding. She's swaddled warmly in her bouncy chair in the corner of the room. It's so quiet that I almost forget she's there until I hear one of her squeaky stretches or whiffling snores.

Now that a week has passed, I'm trying to figure out how to get back into some sort of creative routine. If I'm not drawing, painting or writing, I feel like a shadow of myself. Once I've recovered from the birth, I want to start a sketchbook for pleasure; I want to fill it with drawings of my little daughter, and all the other joyful things I see daily.

I'm in the process of writing a list of (small and achievable) goals for the next few months. Blogging is definitely a priority, as is writing and drawing for pleasure (not for a deadline), playing piano (which I neglected sorely when I was pregnant), and going for walks in our nearby parks.

But right now, the most important thing is that in 20 minutes I'll wake my little darling and gaze into her eyes as she breastfeeds. Every facet of these quiet moments shines with perfection; I want to save them like jewels, and wear them forever near my heart so that I will always remember her as this quiet, sweet, cuddly little babe.

For those of you who have had babies, what were your best coping mechanisms for the first few months?